Miss Saigon...

[wishinguweresomehow]

Okay, so I had not listened to MISS SAIGON in a couple of years, and decided to listen to it this afternoon(instead of studying for midterms...my bad)...and I forgot how much I enjoyed the music from this show. Anyone else feel the same way?

~Meg~

[Lamc16]

"I Still Believe" is seriously one of my all-time favorite songs from a Broadway show.

[ThunderCat8]

Every so often a song from Miss saigon will come on my playlist, and it's always a joy. In fact, on March 30th I will be seeing Miss Saigon as it's currently on tour in the UK. I can't wait! Love it!

i listened to it every day for just about 4 years...sometimes twice a day and i STILL get chills when i hear that helicopter in the opening of the CD.

[musicaltheater1]

I listen to it every week too...love the play except for "The Heat Is On." Saw the last performance on Broadway with Lea Salonga, Will Chase, Ruthie Henshall, and Mike Lee....amazing performance! Oh, my favorites are Sun and Moon and Sun and Moon Reprise.

[millie_dillmount]

I also like I Still Believe. That happened to be the song I downloaded randomly, not knowing what it sounded like, but it's amazing! I got the London version, though.

[jv92]

The Engineer and all of the sequences revolving around him are excellent.
However, I didn't care for the love affair between the troop and the Asian American girl. I found it to be a little over-romantic for me, which sounds cynical, I know.

[RentBoy86]

This is my new favorite show. I went out and bought the highlights because I wasn't sure I was going to like it - because I'm not a huge fan of Les Miserables. But I love it. I now cannot wait until I hear the entire score. I wish it was still touring the US. Which recording would you recommend. I sorta want the complete recording because it is well, complete. However, I really like Lea's vocals, so I sorta want to get the London version. Are there major differences?

[mrkringas]

Joana Ampil is a terrific Kim on this recording. She has played Mary Magdalene, Kim, Eponine and then later Fantine too! And I have seen her in all those roles and can say its a performance that stands alongside Lea.

The only problem with the CSR is the truley awful Chris. An Australian by name of Peter Cousens who is good on his solo cds but for some reason just sucks on the cast recording. Weird.

Oh and you get Ruthie Henshall as Ellen and Sonia Swaby as Gigi who nails it better than most I have seen.

There are a number of changes to the score from the OLC but the CSR reflects what is performed these days.

[musicaltheater1]

RentBoy86, the CSR is good bec. it is the entire production but, like what mrkringas wrote, Peter Cousens wasn't that great. There are only 2 recordings with Lea in it...the OLC and the highlights from OLC. Hook up with the Saigon fans and see if you can get a copy of the OBC sound board recording. If I were you, get the OLC and the CSR.

[C is for Company]

I definitely love the OLC the most, you can't go wrong with most of it

[eatlasagna]

aahh... miss saigon... i love it when this show surfaces on this board... i love it.. have seen it twenty times... wooo hoo... sadly none with lea... but yeah... i would definitely recommend the OLC to anybody... in fact i burn it for people a lot and they always prefer it over the CSR... but i love the CSR just for the fact that it's the entire score... but you gotta love LEA SALONGA!!!!!!

[LeaGirl]

I became exceptionally emotionally attached to this show when I was about 12 or 13 years old - and every time I listen to it, it STILL feels really good. Call me romantic, but I'll never forget the first time I heard the opening notes to the show... how exciting!

And I still think that "Please" is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever listened to/seen onstage.

I am sure this was discussed before, but why now Broadway cast recording? I saw it with Willy Falk and Hinton Battle and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THEM!

[Kitzarina]

I used to LOVE the Highlights recording of this show (still do in fact), but seeing it was such an increadible let down for me.

I don't know if it was the cast, the tour itself, or the poor quality of the sound, but I walked away feeling very upset. I had built the show up so much because of the beautiful music and my love for Les Miserables. I didn't care about any of the characters in the story, except maybe passing twinges of sympathy for Kim and Ellen. I certainly didn't care about Chris.

All in all, it was very flawed for me. Kim and Chris just *BAM* fell in love out of nowhere, got married out of nowhere, and then out of nowhere he got remarried. I just wanted to slap him upside the head for being such an idiot.

Maybe if the chance arises for me to see it again I will. The music truly is beautiful, but I just can't seem to get on board with the plot.

[Eastwickian]

I had exactly the same experience - loved the music, but was seriously let down when I saw it in London (though that was partly down to having to sit in the nose-bleed section of Drury Lanes). However, I convinced myself to see the full blown production on tour (it could only play about four venues) and was surpised that I really got into it - the plot is based on an opera, so it's never going to be watertight, but I found it much more involving the second time (possibly due to lower expectations). I'm planning to see the new 'slimmed down' tour when it comes to the nearest city in June and see if I still feel the same...

[eatlasagna]

you know... i think miss saigon is one of those shows in which you really need to have good actors and singers otherwise you may not feel it... i've seen the show many times but the last time i saw it i hated it... and if i had seen it for the first time i would have not liked the musical... i can totally see where people think the love story is rushed... but you need to see the show with two people who really understand the characters and why their love is rushed and the circumstances that warrant them to fall in love... otherwise it'll seem unpassionate and rather lame... if your Kim and Chris aren't passionate onstage then you'll not care for them at the end... especially Chris... for me... it's all about the actors otherwise this musical can fail

[Anastasia_Beaverhausen]

eatlasagna, you are so right. I love Miss Siagon..it is my favorite show. I have seen it many times in many places. This show is honeslty a different experience if you have bad actors in it...like no other show I can think of. When you have good people in it, it's fantastic.

[keggss23]

I saw it for the first time a few months ago when it came through San Diego. I have loved the music from this show for years and was really excited to see it live. I was very disapointed. The acting was terrible and I didn't feel any emotion the entire show. If the acting is really good, I could imagine that it is a much better experience.

[Ourtime992]

I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I enjoyed it a great deal both of the times I saw it. For my money, "Please" is the best thing on the OLC.

[theatrebabe]

I was just introduced to it a few weeks ago, actually. I love it. It's amazing and beautiful.

in peter's defense...the OLC Chris...he was very ill during that recording according to his girlfriend at the time. its too bad they couldn't re-record some bad spots cause he was really good.
my favorite chris's were: will chase and steven pasquale. you would have felt something for chris if you saw them.
deedee lynn magno was AMAZING as Kim..absolutely heartbreaking ..i loved Lea..but deedee was even better. kristine remigio was another one of my faves..oh! and Emy Baysic who so few had a chance to see but she was a gorgeous kim.
Joe Foronda and Thom Sesma..best engineers.
John - Hinton Battle of course..and Raymond Patterson were my faves.
Thuy ..Mike Lee..hands down, no one touched him.
Ellen..i have one OBVIOUS favorite..but besides her..Tami Tappan, Margaret Ann Gates and Ruthie Henshall were BRILLIANT Ellens.

[Madame X]

So random, the timing of your post. I've been listening to the US Evita and OLC Miss Saigon non-stop for the past 2 weeks now. Love remembering old faves.

Any suggestions for my next cast recording to go to? (don't want to wear Evita and Miss Saigon out ya know)

[eatlasagna]

andrew... i second Steven Pasquale... i saw him in san diego a few years back with his then girlfriend Kristine Remigio and their chemistry was fantastic... he for me has the best look for Chris and the right age for the role... and his breakdown in Act II was the only time i've ever wanted to cry during that scene... he was tremendously powerful when telling Ellen the truth..

and for the record... i absolutely LOVED the new national tour... so different but it was just beautiful

[lastikgirl]

i love miss saigon too. it's a sentimental favorite because it's the first musical i was exposed to. i'm listening to it right now. i saw emy baysic in seattle. she was good vocally and acting-wise too.